


Falling Apart

by CocoOfTheNight



Series: HC Mage AU [2]
Category: Normal Boots, PBG Hardcore
Genre: Angst, Disease, Other, no happy ending I’m sorry, not sorry, ooh magical malady, very painful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 23:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19712089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocoOfTheNight/pseuds/CocoOfTheNight
Summary: Lucah, Dean and Austin have been travelling alone for a while. But what can they do when Lucah comes down with a mysterious and seemingly incurable illness?





	Falling Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Another ficlet from the Past section of the HC Mage AU. Sorry not sorry Lucah haha

The days had been agonising. For Lucah, and for the two watching her crumble. She’d been bedridden for two days - they’d been forced to set up camp when she physically could not move without crying out in pain. It was like her joints were audibly scraping together with every movement; sound that could even be heard by Austin. So Dean had made the executive decision to stop: Although, he clearly was not happy. Shuffling from foot to foot, always on edge… In any case, Lucah joked, he was the perfect guard.

Of course, it was hardest on Lucah. She’d spent her whole life, from child to adult, playing with these guys. Getting into scrapes, bending the rules, and making sure they were okay. In a way…. she’d almost given up - four of their friends were dead. Gone for good. 

But she couldn’t. If not for Austin or Dean, then for the people at home. For the children in the village she still hadn’t taught the best hiding places; for the animals she hadn’t taken care of; for… for Jon, who waited at home for her, only wishing to see her once again.

God, she really wanted to see him again.

“Lucah- Lucah are you alright??” Dean’s voice broke through her thoughts, desperate. She winced slightly, turning her head. 

‘N… no. I’m… half left.’ With a teasing grin, she gingerly brought a hand up and wiped a tear away from her eyes. It hurt- so much. The disease that claimed her was merciless and she almost wished-

Austin came in, cheery as he could, a stack of cookies in hand. “Hey! Those cocoa beans we managed to nab were- Is everything okay?” He paused, concerned.

Dean looked from Lucah to Austin - they were both smiling - and he couldn’t help from just laughing. It was sad, it was happy, it was… hopeful. 

Maybe Lucah would be okay. 

Surely, Austin could take that night shift off. She’d be okay for one more night… 

-

Shit. 

-

They were awakened by a violent wheezing sound; a cough that was slightly too wet; a sob of desperation and pain. 

Lucah was doubled over, hacking into her own palm, one arm wrapped around her waist in a weak form of comfort. She vaguely heard noises around her - panicked ones, but too blurry to be picked out (could a noise be blurry?).

Fingers caught in purple, flaking skin and snagged, tugging little bits off and the pain skyrocketed. She thought she’d screamed, but how could she be sure? Maybe her voice had died as well, just as she felt little parts of her doing. 

_No, no no no I can’t stop I can’t leave I can’t go yet they all need me. I- I haven’t seen Jon yet, we haven’t finished our quest, we…_ another coughing fit broke the thoughts. 

Movement- movement of her? She couldn’t tell, could only recognise pain and something in the air. Her hands were cold and clammy, but somebody gripped onto them for dear life. She snorted, amusedly. How ironic.

For Lucah, the days had been agonising. She thought of her friends, and she thought of Jon.

Then she thought of nothing.


End file.
